Journalism school fosters the art of change
Media and communication education in university is all about continuity and adjustment to keep up with the rapidly changing media environment, remarked Francis Lee Lap-fung, the newly appointed director and professor of the School of Journalism and Communication (SJC) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
As he takes the helm of the SJC, Lee is looking to develop SJC as a headquarters of journalism studies and one of the top choices for youngsters seeking media education in Hong Kong. Apart from maintaining the school’s traditional teaching principles and philosophies which remain timeless today, he said, the school would “constantly update its programs in pace with the changes in the industry, including teaching content and methodologies”.
The changing trend of the industry will be predominately led by internationalization and digitalization. As higher education providers, university teachers are obliged to incorporate new elements into their courses and classes, to equip students with the skills demanded by the industry, said Wu Shih-chia, professional consultant of the school who teaches Corporate Communication. She found many mainland students in her classes had little understanding of Hong Kong’s corporate culture, which differs from those of Taiwan and other Asian regions or countries. Considering this knowledge gap detrimental to the study of corporate communication, Wu introduced great quantities of case studies to her classes so students can be exposed to various business cultures. They launched a short-term Corporate Social Responsibility program to boost cultural exchanges across different regions. In the program, 10 local students and 10 peers from Taiwan mingle and study together for a week in Hong Kong and another week in Taipei.
Mixing it up
Twenty local students will spend their sophomore year in the United Kingdom with 20 students from the University of Sussex, and study and live together in Hong Kong in the third year, forming an effective cohort. It is a two-way exchange, allowing students of both sides to interact intensively, systematically, frequently and regularly, Lee said. While the program may not be significantly different from other communication programs in terms of the course and curriculum, “it adds a truly international learning environment. The point is to learn the same content in an international context,” Lee stressed. The program, which started recruitment from this academic year, has attracted students from diverse backgrounds– including two from the Philippines, one from Taiwan and one from South Korea. “The 20-student class in Hong Kong is already a globalized diversified microcommunity of its own.”
Globalization also speaks to the movement of people, added Lee. People are highly mobile these days, shifting from one place to another for the sake of their career. There are endless opportunities out there, but the ability to capture or create these opportunities correlates with how well people can adapt to an alien environment and familiarize themselves with a foreign culture. An alumnus, Lee cited worked in a Hong Kong PR company for several years upon graduating 10 years ago, then jumped to another PR company in Singapore for four to five years before moving to London. She now runs an event-organizing start-up in Britain; many of her clients seek business in China, which enables her to draw on years of her communication skills and experience.
While acquiring a global mindset could be a steep learning curve, the key to smoothing the process and bridging the gap between university and career is “internship”, Lee noted. Capitalizing on ties with the industry, the SJC offers all its undergraduate students in line with each of their interests and strengths.
Course revision
5 to 10 years ago, the importance of data analytics was not emphasized as much as today. With the advent of big data, web analytics is often employed to mine and analyze data generated on multiple social media platforms, which have become integral to dayto-day social life – particularly among young demographics. “How to extract and mine the data, how to summarize the data and how to make sense of the data are new skills that we need to pick up,” said Michael Chan Che-ming, assistant professor of the SJC whose research focus is on new media and social media.
While the course New Media Analytics is not new, the content and teaching strategies have been revised and updated to reflect technological changes in industry and society. The New Media Analytics and other courses were designed and taught by industry professionals with decades of experience in new media, Chan said.
Allan Au Ka-lun, professional consultant of the SJC reckoned that the role of journalism has shifted from that of gatekeeper to “sense maker” and news curator as the result of rampant fake news online. The rise of new media and social media has been accompanied by the rise of fake news which sometimes can be difficult to distinguish from facts. Journalists today are responsible for selecting important and factual news before presenting truths to readers, explained Au. “The skill of sense making or verification is more emphasized than ever,” he said.
Since traditional paper media have been waning, with a number of news organizations closing down their newspaper sections, journalism may not be a viable job of choice. Many young people with an interest in journalism are dissuaded from pursuing it. Lee takes a different view. “Newspapers were forced to close down due to financial problems. But why are media giants such as the New York Times, the Guardian and the Washington Post still operating and recruiting young talents?” The answer is that new job titles and functions have been created.
“The job opportunities in media corporations are just as plentiful as they were in the past,” Lee asserted, adding that the job titles in the industry are changing. He is also convinced that Hong Kong’s free media environment is favorable and conducive for media professionals to practice dayto-day work and hone their professional skills.